E3 2009: Cursed Mountain (Wii)

Cursed Mountain wishes it were either Resident Evil or Silent Hill and kinda works at being both, not that I could tell so much before the one enemy I fought (a boss, spawned from the aether after I activated three torches) stabbed me repeatedly and killed me.

"Maybe you'll be the first one to beat him today," the booth attendant (an employee of developer Deep Silver) told me as I gave it a second sporting go. The game plays just like its influences, with a novel addition: hold C on the chuk to enter a first-person view from which you can blast "spiritual crossbow bolts," the only way to damage the floaty boss-type character. I got him after I got used to the non-inverted aiming, and then was told I needed to rush the three pillars I had already activated, where I was prompted to make a series of Jet Set Radio-type motions to bust the hell out of them.

I got the first one and then due to my character's agonizingly slow run speed was stabbed to death yet again. I tossed the controller in a blind fit of rage, but it just dangled from my wrist since all the booth attendees make sure you attach the wrist strap. This stupid game comes out in Q3 of this year.